Mountain Musings...And Letter Writing

What is your source of inspiration?

These pictures are from a vacation a year and a half ago. I had been meaning to write a blog post using them but never did.  But looking at these pictures (in my draft file) got me thinking about a subject that writers often talk about.  What is the source of your writing inspiration?  If you are a letter writer, you are a writer. And letter writers, like book,or magazine writers, get into slumps.  What do you do?  Well, whenever there is a vacation planned, I take the opportunity to use that time to "recharge" .  I try to  reflect a bit and see what is new in my life or maybe what I have learned.  Even a change of scene is invigorating! Maybe that will get you thinking in a new direction!  Maybe it will slow you down enough to actually spend some quality time  to write letters!  Look at that view we had EVERY DAY!  This was just a breath-taking view and plain awe-inspiring.  If you are curious, this was in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.    It was a family vacation, and the house was HUGE!  It slept something like 40 people, but we "only" had 27 of us, I believe.  That included I think 11 or so grand kids, so just imagine Legos and all sorts of kid toys scattered everywhere on this carpet.  Ha, ha, I swept them away temporarily for the purpose of this photo.  :-)

This was the summer that was just after  the Pigeon Forge fire...literally 5 months.  Up the treacherously steep and narrow road (which gave me a near panic attack--no kidding!) there were countless slabs of cement where recently stood majestic cabins.   The above photo shows how  the fire had nearly  surrounded this house.  This mountain top was just to the left of our house for the week.  I wanted to shout, "HALOOOO" to our mountain neighbors....

I took along my tea stash and literally just enjoyed sipping my tea and gazing at God's glorious creation. It's nearly impossible to see this site and not think about God and his goodness and mercies.  I also took my mobile writing kit and did pen a few letters.    What about you?  What keeps you focused and writing?

Give Your Brain A Vacation

Go visit a friend

take your tea

Enjoy!

Pam

How Does Your Creative Process Work?

My Journey  Exploring the Creative Process

I have decided that I want to work on my (lack of )  watercolor skills!  I thought simple projects would fit the bill....and so the humble postcard it is.   I mainly get my ideas for watercolors from what's around me...or good ol' Pinterest!  Until I learn the techniques...I will need to study other works and then go from there.

These are my favorite from the last bunch that I did.  I did spray them with a water color sealer. Warning:  It takes a few weeks before the odor evaporates,  These were painted on Cotton Arches and credit goes to Pinterest.

I'm trying not to waste my watercolor paper and so I "practice up" first.  My first attempt at the study  is in my  mixed-media sketchbook.  After sketching the picture,  I work on painting it.

I do another run of the same painting in my Traveler's notebook.  

Haha...I make mistakes everywhere!   Seems I don't know how to spell "December"!

But, three attempts is not always a charm!  My post cards of my winter catus...turned out to be quite disappointing.  I totally forgot what perspective I was working on...haha!   I even  tried covering up my mistake with a label!  It's all good...I send them to my twin sister and ya know what?  She doesn't care!!! ;-)

I thought I would share with you some of the books that I find helpful for learning to sketch and watercolor techniques.  This book is definitely a keeper!  You won't waste a cent on this book.  It's also a great primer on plein air painting as well.  I am not in the practice of carrying around a sketchbook, or doing a "sketch-a-day" but I would love to start getting into that habit. What about you?  Do you add watercolor or other medium to your snailmail?  

A Sketch A Day

Will Keep

Mistakes

Away!

Pam 

A little Christmas Holiday Cheer!

Christmassy Outgoing Postcards....

Hi EVERYONE!!!!!  Just sharing a little bit of what I just sent out to all of my local yokel friends and family (stateside, not international!)  I normally send postcards out to my international  postcrossing community...but instead I sent locally...why not?  So, in addition to the  "real" Christmas mail...my token family picture card...I thought I'd send out some fun stuff!  YAY for me!  :-)

I thought I'd do a flat lay , so you could see the different stamps I used.  Some of them are such cute vintage ones...that I hated saying goodbye to them.   But, I do hope they bring a bit of a smile on the receiver's face! Some of the stamps are not Christmas stamps (like the West Virginia and Alabama. state stamps, and the traffic light!) , but have a prominent red and or green.   

Hoping your Holidays are

Bright and Cheery

Love to you

Always,

Pam

Pen Pal Kit

Incoming Snail Mail!!!

YEEEHAAAAAhhhhh!!!

Can y'all tell that I am getting ready to go to TEXAS?  That means working on all my TEXAS lingo. And I am ready and rarin' to go!  Hmmmm....that gets me thinking!  I should get some penpals in the general area so I can do a penpal meet up with my Texan snailmail lovin' community! I am able to wrangle out a few letters from kinfolk...,but bless their hearts, its like they get fixin to write...but lose heart.  Anyway...if any of you kind hearted Texan folk want to write me, leave a comment.  Especially if you live in the Dallas, or Sherman area....I'd like that more than you could shake a stick at!

Oh, but back to my blog post.  Above is my recent  postcrossing incoming.  Two are not shown...they got left on a counter somehow.  I love the stamps, and all the nice little notes.   It really does make a sad mailbox happy to get all of these.  So now, it is time for me to go on and get my next batch of addresses. I think I will be doing about 10 or 20 a month.  The above picture gives you a hint of where I live!  This was a  record snowfall that we received here in the "gateway to the south"!  It was great fun getting snowed in...drinking hot chocolate by the gallon, sitting by the fireplace...

And admiring my incoming mail on my nice cleaned up desk.  

Hope you are enjoying this day

where ever you may be

Go and make /send 

some good mail

today!

Pam

Pen Pal Kit

Pat Mail....Let The CRAZINESS Begin..

SNAIL MAIL AT ITS BEST

HELLO, RVA!

Everyone needs a crazy, wacky sister like mine.  Oh, and to top it off, she is my identical TWIN  sister.  Of course that doesn't make me crazy or wacky....ha! This summer she came for a visit, taking the Amtrak down to my neck of the woods...Richmond , VA.  When she came to town, I had already planned each and every day with something she hadn't already done in the Richmond and surrounding areas.  We had a blast...and she was so sweet to send me a thank you card(s) with her very cool graphic art and watercolor.

Are you ready?  Dare to open?  I did.

First, THANKS!!  For what?

Our first trip was downtown Richmond for an electric bike tour of historic Church Hill.  We had a great tour guide and it was absolutely fantastic,  everyone needs to check out their local e-bike tours!

One day was spent at the Jefferson for high tea!  You can read all about it here:High Tea At The Jefferson  .  You will have to google why the alligator is in the picture.  It figures into the history of the Jefferson Hotel.

And then the obligatory family time!  And that is no small feat getting 10 children, 4 spouses,  and 11 (now 12) grand kids all together! And just so you know, no babies were injured or harmed in the "baby lift" competitions.  Brandon of course, rocked it!

We had so much fun researching the type of coconut (4 layer originally) cake that my grandmother used to make --circa 1920's?.  We had narrowed it down to about 8 different recipes online, and finally think that we found THE ONE!  Here is the recipe we settled on: Grandma's Coconut Cake.   It was amazing....and so much fun to make with Pat.  Thanks, Pat, for taking over the grating of the coconut!

Ah, then the interesting trip to Petersburg Virginia.  Petersburg has a fantastic  Civil War history and the city is amazing to visit...but be warned!  Since the town has suffered almost total bankruptcy this past year , the tourism industry has been completely annihilated!  First stop to the Visitor Center?  Closed!  Museums?  Closed!  The historic area is like a ghost town!  One saving grace was our luncheon at the Dixie Restaurant!  Great small  town vibes, super friendly service, and we were told ahead of time about the heavenly "Spoon Bread" which was literally "to die for!"  Great place, I highly recommend.   Then it was on to the national battlefield to see the "Battle of the Crater"...my young uns that we took were not really impressed.  I think you have to be an adult to appreciate this interesting bit of history.  But, there too, the museum was CLOSED!  Ugh, arrrrgh!

Richmond, Virginia is home to one of the only two, URBAN  level 5 white water rafting in the country!  So off we went to try our hand at it!  Ha, ha, the pictures are ACCURATE!  We lost Pat and my son Benji on the first rapid into the water!  We had to go into rescue mode immediately! Thankfully we all made it through the rapids without loss of limb or life!  It was an experience of a lifetime.  

Hi Lydia!  We had some swim time in the river which was great on the sweltering day we happened to be on the James River.

Such fun mail!  Thank YOU Pat for keeping the memories alive, even more so than the photos that we took.  What a great week, with this mail I will  always look back with a smile.

I hope you have enjoyed this travelog , maybe you can go out and explore your own city too.

Happy Snail Mailing,

Pam

*Available In My Shop*

Pen Pal Letter Set Kit

Snail Mail Outgoing...Collage, Flip Books, and More!

A Peek Into My Outgoing Mail...

An envelope using a bit of collage technique, vintage style.

Flip book, bi fold going out....hmmm....what label looks good here?  I wish craft manufacture would produce more VINTAGE items like these.  Does anyone have a favorite craft store for vintage items, online , perhaps?

These are simple to make and just a fun way to use all those pretty papers and die cuts that you want to put to good use, right?  I have folded the letter and put it into a cello bag.  Why?  I'm not sure.  Just another little something to open up I suppose.  Don't we like little packages?  The possibilities are endless.  I try to imagine the recipient  and what joy it can bring to them, so I just try to make whatever I send  out cheerful and fun.  A gift.

A recent letter I sent out.  The envelope is made and lined with scrapbooking paper.  I love the chintz print.

Here's another little flip book , bi fold that I recently sent out... Spread a little sunshine today!  Send out some pretty mail,  write a letter!  I know you can do it!

Happy Snail Mailing!

Pam

Incoming Snail Mail, and Louvre Art

Mail Art in Progress...

I've had some lovely incoming mail lately!  It was time to get working on some return mail!

Here is some Mona Lisa mail that I sent out to Patti.  I used some collage techniques on this envelope.

Kim is getting this letter from me.  It is another piece I cut out of my Louvre book of art.  I don't remember who the artist is...but I do like this painting.   I tried to pick up on the pale pink of the bow in the stamps.  

Still a lot more outgoing to get working on!  What are you working on?  Let me know!

Happy Snail Mailing!

Pam

Customize It ...Please!

My mission...on a rubber stamp!

Hello everyone.  This post is  not related too much to snail mail, but in some ways it is.  So hang in there while I explain! I live in Virginia where nearly every car has a customized license plate, usually telling the world something about themselves.  I can relate to this, especially in the snail mail realm.  I wanted to have a customized rubber stamp that would state my mission and so I purchased this some time ago, to use on most of my Etsy packaging , but I also use it on some of my mail.  I love the special touch it adds to mail going out.

Here is mine--it's  self -inking!  Whoo Hoo!  I believe I got this particular rubber stamp off of Groupon  a year or so ago.  There are so many companies that offer customized rubber stamps...a quick look at ETSY will bring up a good number.  But all that to say, I use this little tool nearly everyday.  

Do you have a mission?  A passion?  Why not put it into words and share it with others?

Write  a letter today,

Pam

Is There A Washi Tape Addiction Hotline?

                                          5 Signs of a Washi Tape Addiction (OK, make it 6)

Now, of course, I am not referring to myself.  No, never.  But just in case there are those of you who may struggle this area, let us check if we can at least see the warning signs.

1.  You find yourself surfing online Etsy late at night, half awake, half comatosed , for pink flamingo washi tape.

2.  It isn't a coincidence that  your budget doesn't include washi tape...must mean "the sky's the limit".

 3.  You buy multiple rolls of the same tape because, you know...you'll run out and they will NEVER  have that same design.

4.  You're doing a teal planner layout and you must have 15 teal washi tapes to make it presentable.

5.  You need to find hiding places to store your stockpile of washi tape , because you are afraid your husband will see it and wonder why you have so much of it.

6.  But , "I don't have any ice cream washi tape!"

 Any of you who may have ordered from my Etsy Store will know that I love mailing out my orders with lots and lots of cheerful washi tape and stickers.  I feel like everyone should get some Happy Mail now and then, so I try to make it special.  And I am really thankful for all of the great sellers on Etsy that make that happen. Check out Cwlcrafts for a great selection of washi tape! But do  be mindful of the warning signs of washi tape addiction!

Send a letter today, and of course, use lots of washi tape! :-)

Pam

*Available In The Shop*

Happy Mail Letter Writing Kit

Pocket Sized Flip Books

I did a couple smaller flip books recently, and they were pretty similar that I thought that I would group them together in a single post. The lighting in some of the photo's is awful, so I will apologize now! I don't really have many comments to make, so I'll just let the photos do the work.  Enjoy!

 I enjoyed passing on some vintage post cards that I had!

Here is another cool vintage postcard  of a cathedral.  

Birds and eggs...

Happy Snail Mailing

Pam

Sunshine Mail...Flip Book

 Let's Bring Some Sunshine into some one's life!

Here is  another Flip Book that I sent out to Cathy in Sunny California.  You have probably done some version of this in the past, in one shape or another.  I made this flip book in the  dead of winter...so my mind naturally longed for sunny days.  Currently,  central Virginia is under a deluge!  We are "in the running for"  one of the wettest May's in recorded history.  We need sunshine here.  But, making some snail mail sunshine is the next best thing.   There are many youtube videos on how to put together Flip Books of all shapes and sizes if you are interested in more information and tutorials.

 This book has 6 pages, but I have also made Flip Books that are just 2 pages, more like folders.

I had to cut the yellow card stock to be sure they would fit in my cello bags which I will use for an envelope.  

Once you have used washi tape to secure the pages in the book, then you are ready to go as far as decorating each page.  Here is the first page layout.  

Page 3 and 4 Layout.

Pages 5 and 6 layout.  

Here are some of the contents of the pockets, tea, tags,  Sunflower washi sample--isn't it cute? Sticker embellishments, and a Sunflower mail tag card.  

I posted this earlier  on a Paint Chip idea post, but thought I would include it here as it was sent with this Flip Book.

The back side is covered with yellow paper and then stamped.

After making your cute Flip Book....don't forget the LETTER!  I enjoy crafty things too....but the letter is the heart and soul of  your mail.  So have fun, and send some sunshine today!

Oh, and here it is going into the mail slot at the Amelia Court House  USPS...with some colorful postage.  Isn't it amazing that this little packet is making a transcontinental trip?  I can't make a trip to California, but the following quote says it all:

To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.  ~Phyllis Theroux

Happy Snail Mailing!

Pam